Multiple West Virginia Mountaineers Arrested Over Weekend

It was a bad weekend for the West Virginia Mountaineers to say the least.

Sophomore safety Karl Joseph is facing under-21 DUI charges, while Travis Bell, a junior safety, is facing misdemeanor domestic battery charges.

Joseph was reportedly pulled over at 2:45 a.m. for driving without headlights.

Police said Joseph smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes and blew a 0.054. Obviously persons under the age of 21 are not allowed to blow anything more than a 0.02.

The story gets weird when police found Joseph with a fake ID, earning additional charges against him. However, the ID wasn’t just some random made-up ID; the ID belonged to WVU linebacker Isaiah Bruce.

If you’re going to use a fake ID, you may not want to borrow the ID of one of the most recognizable faces on campus.

Joseph was released on a $300 bond, but still faces fines up to $600. The DUI is ticketed at around $100, while the fake ID is fineable around $500.

Travis Bell is accused of fighting with his girlfriend over the weekend and is free on a $7,400 bond.

This is not what WVU needed. The school is coming off of one of its best recruiting classes ever, and now the two best players on the defense are involved in scandal.

Head Coach Dana Holgorsen has said he is aware of the situation and is gathering facts before he takes any action. I would be very surprised (and disappointed) if no further discipline results from this.

I expect Joseph to receive at least a one game suspension. Isaiah Bruce could slide by without a suspension, as he wasn’t directly involved with the DUI. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if Travis Bell is outright kicked off of the team. This is not acceptable in any way, shape or form.

This is a great opportunity for coach Holgorsen to send a message and show his players that he won’t accept this type of behavior.

Joseph started every game last season and was one of the most explosive players on the WVU defense. Bruce was also very influential to his team. A suspension would show players that no one is exempt from discipline.

Follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeAtkinsonRS or visit his Rant Sports Author Page.